Electric bath-cabinet.



H. C. MARRINAN.

ELECTRIC BATH CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7; 1916.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

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j onora L. flarrinan 6 Z HONORA C. MARRINAN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRIC BATH-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application filed October 7, 1916. Serial No. 124,415.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HONORA C. MARRINAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Bath-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in bath cabinets. An object is to so construct the cabinet with an electrical heating element that the inclosure formed by the cabinet is efi'ectively heated without the damaging efiects of burn outs. A further object is to provide the cabinet having a heater and, shower element with means for controlling their simultaneous operation, whereby either said heater or shower element can be actuated but both are prevented from being operated at the same time.

In the accompanying drawing forming part'of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away and in section of my invention; Fig. 2 is a section of a detail; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the heater and shower controlling device; Fig. 4: is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 8, and Fig. 5 is a diagram of the electrical circuit and of the heater and shower controlling element.

This invention more particularly is an improvement upon the structure set forth in patent #1,130,916 granted to John Gorman and myself on the 9th day of March, 1915, for electrical bath cabinets. The cabinet in my improvement like in the patent above referred to is constructed with superimposed sections, made out of metal or other suitable material, A in the drawing indicating the base or bottom section, B the body or middle section, and C the dome or'top section. At the lower. central portion of the floor there is provided a downwardly extending duct 2 for conducting the waste water used for bathing purposes away from the device The body isformed with a doorway 3, in which a pair of doors 4 are hinged to close and open. The dome also has a doorway 5 1n which a pair of segments 6 are slldably mounted to move into open or closed position. The central upper portion of the dome has a neck opening 7, connecting with the opening 5, the edge of said neck opening being provided with a roll or ring member '8 having 'a removable segment 9, said segment being placed across the passage between the openings 5 and 7. By this construction a doorway leading from the base to the top of the cabinet is provided, through which a person may enter or leave the cabinet when desired. lVhen in the cabinet the head may be left projecting above the dome through the ring 8, so that the head is not inclosed by the cabinet.

Placed in the top of the cabinet is a spray or shower element D, in the form of a yoke made of pipe, suitably perforated and supported on the dome to spray water down over the body, said yoke partly encircling the neck of the bather and being connected to a suitable water supply pipe 11, to supply water of the desired temperature, and having a valve E, to control the operation'of the spraying device. This valve is of any suitable type that shown having a casing 12, (see Fig. 3) mounted upon the dome, in which the ported valve head 13 is rotatable by means of the handle 14 secured to the valve stem 15 on said head. The body 16 of the handle 14. has a recess 17 formed with a cam surface 18, the function of which will be hereinafter described.

Located within the cabinet is an electric heating element F, having upper and lower bracket members 20 and 21, which are ar ranged around and secured to the inner surface of the body B. Between these bracket members are a plurality of vertically disposed heaters, each of which consists of a long hollow cylindrical spool or core 22 made of porcelain or other insulating heat resisting material having ends 23 seated in hollow insulators 24. Passing through the spool, insulators and bracket members and holding said parts securely in substantially vertical position is a long bolt 25. The sets of spools, insulators and bolts are disposed side by side around and standing out from the inner surface of the body B. Wrapped around the spools 22 are electrical resistance coils 25', said coils being suitably connected to a supply circuit 26 (see Fig. 5), from which current is derived for energizing the coils and producing heat in the cabinet of the desired temperature. A switch G interposed in said circuit and connected with said coils may be arranged so that part or all of the coils can be thrown into operation when desired. The spools serve as supports for the coils to prevent them from sagging and short circuiting when acting under the influence of electrical current.

The switch G may be mounted upon a supporting arm 27 extending upwardly from the casing 12 and controlled by a switch handle 28 the body 29 of which is journaled to turn upon the stem 15. This body 29 has a recess 30 formed with a cam surface 31 corresponding with the cam surface 18.

To control the simultaneous operation of the valve E and switch G, so that only one or the other of the shower or heater elements can be operated at a time, a stop or look H is arranged adjacent the handle bodies 16 and 29. This stop is in the form of a tilting support 35 pivoted at 36 upon a stem or shaft 37, which is rigidly mounted in a cup 38, which is supported by the arm 39 extending upwardly from the valve casing 12. A nut 40 on the stem 37 holds said stem in the cup 38. An expansion spring 11 in the cup 38 serves to urge the support 35 against the bodies 16 and 29. The support 35 is formed with a pair of studs 42 and 43, disposed on opposite sides of the axis of the stem 37 and enter the recesses 17 and 30 when the switch arms are at shut off position, but when either of said arms is turned into open position, that is when the heater or shower element is turned on, the cam surface in the handle which is operated pressing against the corresponding stud 42 or 43, tilts the support 35 against the tension of the spring and causes the opposite stud to engage the other arm and lock the same against movement. Thus only one or the other of the valve or switch elements can be operated at a time. The cam surfaces and studs are so formed that both arms cannot be moved at the same time.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims.

Having describedmy im'ention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination bath and heating cabinet, comprising, in combination, an inclosing chamber having an upwardly projecting body, a heating element in said chamber comprising a supporting frame mounted upon said body having upper and lower bracket members, electrical insulating cores secured between said bracket members, heating coils of electrical resistance wire mounted upon and supported by said cores, said coils being connected with a switch controlled current supply, a valve controlled shower disposed on said cabinet and means interposed between and cooperating with the switch of said current supply and the valve of said shower, whereby the turning on of said switch or valve prevents the turning of the other.

2. A combination bath and heating cabinet, comprising, in combination, an inclosing chamber having an upwardly projecting body, a heating element in said chamber comprising a supporting frame mounted upon said body having upper and lower bracket members, electrical insulating cores secured between said bracket members, heating coils of electrical resistance wire mounted upon and supported by said cores and connected with a switch controlled current supply arranged so that only a portion or all of said coils may be operated at a time, whereby a hot or medium temperature can be maintained within the cabinet, a valve controlled shower disposed on said cabinet and means interposed between and cooperating with the switch of said current supply and the valve of said shower, whereby the turning on of said switch or valve prevents the turning of the other.

3. A combination bath and heating cabinet, comprising, in combination, an inclosing chamber having an upwardly projecting body, a heating element in said chamber comprising a switch controlled electrical resistance circuit, a valve controlled shower disposed in said cabinet and means interposed between and cooperating with the switch of said circuit and the valve of said shower, whereby the turning 'on of said switch or valve prevents the turning of the other.

4. A combination bath and heatin device, comprising, in combination, a cabinet, a heater in said cabinet, means for controlling the heater, a shower device in said cabinet, means for controlling the operation of said shower device, and means associated with said heat controlling means and with said shower controlling means for governing their simultaneous operation.

5. A combination bath and heating cabinet, comprising, in combination, an inclosing chamber, a heater in said chamber, a bath shower also in said chamber, a valve for controlling said shower, an electrical heater in said cabinet, a switch for controlling said heater, and means associated with said switch and valve for causing one or the other to be locked against movement when one is operated.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HONORA C. MARRINAN. 

